Sign Up For Netflix, Save Net Neutrality (I’m Serious)

Yesterday I read that Netflix streaming now accounts for about 30% of bandwidth use in North America.

As I was laying in bed I came to a startling realization. We can use Netflix streaming to save net neutrality.

Step 1: Get Older Folks Using Netflix

Over the last two weeks my girlfriend and I bought Roku XD boxes for our parents so they can stream Netflix.

They are thrilled.

Step 2: Get Older Folks Streaming a Ton of Video

High definition video takes a ton of bandwidth, thus the 30% of North American traffic.

The argument that internet service providers like Comcast and Time Warner Cable make to attack net neutrality, and impose bandwidth caps is that the only people who use a lot of bandwidth are pirates on BitTorrent. This is clearly not the case anymore as BitTorrent is now #2 on the bandwidth consumption list.

If everyone is a “bandwidth hog” then no one is. Hogs become the rule, not the exception.

Why can’t we just get more young people streaming with Netflix?

Politicians actually listen to older folks. Older folks don’t necessarily understand technology, they just want it to work. They will be pissed if their connections get throttled, and people will listen. No one cares when a 25 year-old dude’s connection is throttled, but it will be on the local news when it happens to grandma.

Netflix is another big corporation in addition to Google, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon with good reasons for putting money behind net neutrality. It’s great to have money and corporate champions behind the cause, but what we really need are older people who care about getting their movies.

I’m getting my grandfather a Roku XD and a Netflix subscription for father’s day. I’ve already setup two of them this month, why not go for the trifecta.